Piano key



June 22 1926.

B. FEDERLE PIANO KEY Filed April 50, 1924 MNM).

Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES BERTE FEDERLE, OF KEARNEY, NEBRASKA.

PIANO KEY.

Application filed April 30, 1924. Serial No. 710,042.

The invention relates to piano keys, and has for its object to provide a piano key to one side of therocking point thereof with an adjustable weight frictionally held and slidably mounted in an elongated recess in the key and forming means whereby the key may be properly balancedfor light medium or heavy touch by the movement of the weight to various positions.

A further object is to provide a metallic lining for the recess having guide ribs disposed in grooves and opposite sides of the weight for holding the weight against lateral transvelse movement. Also to form the lining from a single piece of elongated metal having a rib, the ends of which strip are overlapped, thereby allowing the weight to be placed in the lining when out of the key recess, and securely held by the lining after the lining has been placed in the key recess and secured therein.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing Figure l is a perspective view of a conventional form of piano key, showing the device applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the piano key taken on line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the rear end of the piano key.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lining.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates a conventional form of piano key, and 2 a bar on which the piano key rocks. The bar' 2 is provided with an upwardly extending pin 3, which prevents displacement of the key in the usual manner, and at the same time allows a rocking thereof on the bar 2. The rear end 4 of the key is provided with a conventional form of connection 5 whereby the key may be connected to cord striking mechanism. It has been found that keys are not properly adjusted or balanced for light, medium or heavy playing, and that the end 4thereof does not move downwardly rapidly enough for medium or heavy playing. To obviate this dii'licult},f the rear end 4 of the key is provided with an elongated chamber 6, preferably extending entirely through the key, and in which chamber a lining 7 is disposed. The lining 7 is provided with longitudinally disposed ribs 8 on its opposite sides, which ribs are disposed in oppositely 4disposed grooves 9 of a weight l0. Weight l0 is frictionally held within the lining 7, and is adapted to be moved to various positions in relation to the rocking point of the key for acceleratingr the movement of the rear end of the key, for instance, for heavy playing the weight is moved to the end of the key in registration with the legend Heavy When a medium touch is desired, the weight is placed in registration with the legend Mediunn and for a light touch in registration with the legend Light By frictionally holding the weight, it will be seen that securing means, for instance adjusting screws or set screws are obviated, and the device may be easily adjusted by inserting a pin in the aperture 11 of the weight and moving the weight to the desired position.

The lining 7 is formed from a single piece of material having ribs 8 thereon, and is bent to rectangularly shaped form as shown in Figure 4, with its angularly disposed ends 12 overlapped, therefore it will be seen that the Weight can be placed in the lining 7 when the lining is out of the key, and the lining with the weight therein may be easily and quickly placed in the chamber 6 of the key, and secured to the ends of said chamber by means of nails 13, consequently the weight is securely held against transverse lateral displacement, and is frictionally held in a manner whereby it may be easily and quickly adjusted to various longitudinal positions according to the touch desired.

From the above it will be seen that a touch adjusting weight is provided for a piano key, which weight is frictionally held within a chamber of the key and may be easily and quickly adjusted to various positions. It will also be seen that the weight is entirely encased with the chamber of thc key, and therefore will `not necessitate thc rearrangement in any way of adjacent mechanism.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is l. The combination WithaV roelmblerpizino key, of a touch echusting weightcarried thereby, seid Weight being frietionally held` and slidably mountedinel Chamber oit' the key and oppositely disposed'ribs earried'by the key in the chamber and ene'aksgiii-gI grooves in the Weight. Y

2. The Combination with@ roe-liable pieni@ key, of a touch adjusting Weight carried thereby, Szridzwegxht beingfrietenally held and sli'dably mounted in lining. in the chamber.el"4 thei'key, said lining:` being pro.-V vided with; oppositelyfY disposed (mide ribs.

disposed 'in opposite :sides .off glee-vee in the Weight.,

3; The combination with lockable. `'piano key, off ay touehadju-sting Weight carried thereby, said Weight; beingffrietonelly: held in various adjusting positions, within :1

.ohanfiber ofthe key, a lining` for said chamsignature.V v

BERTE FEDERLE. 

